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“Miranda, please. Can you just give me an hour?”
“No,” Derek said. “You’re not talking to her. Now get the fuck out of here.”
Will’s face turned red. “And who the fuck are you to tell her what to do?”
“Her boyfriend, asshole!”
I gaped, stunned by Derek’s declaration. I agreed with him about not talking to Will, but curiosity was getting the better of me. I wanted to hear what Will had to say.
“Boyfriend?” Will cut his eyes to mine and my chest squeezed. The pain in his was unbearable. “Baby, he can’t be right. We belong together, M. Always and forever.”
A tear slipped out the corner of my eye. I didn’t try to hide it. “Will, you ruined what we had.”
“No.” He rubbed his hands over his overgrown scruff. God, he looked so haggard with dark circles under his bloodshot eyes and creases in his forehead. It was like he’d aged ten years since the last time I saw him.
“Yes, you did,” I said in a low voice. “I deserve better than what you gave me. I deserve respect, loyalty, and faithfulness.” I swallowed down my emotions and blinked back tears. “Please leave.”
He stared at me with so much pain and agony in his eyes, it stole my breath away.
“It’s not what you think,” Will pleaded. “I love you, Miranda. Only you, always and forever. You can’t tell me you didn’t feel it our last night together. You’d told me you didn’t believe anything I said, so I showed you that night. I showed you with every touch and kiss I gave you. I loved you completely as we made love for hours. Don’t you remember?”
“I’ve heard enough,” Derek hissed. “She said it’s over, so deal with it, buddy. Show some pride and walk away.”
I didn’t know what to do. Derek was staking his claim and being protective. But Will, he was reminding me of all the things I’d wanted to believe were true… But I couldn’t ignore the fact that he went to Vegas with Cori.
The hurt and anger I had buried deep in my core bubbled up. “You left me crying on the bathroom floor. You broke me. I didn’t matter to you. You left.” I was sobbing now, wracked with all the pain the man in front of me caused.
“I did, but it’s not how it looked.”
“Isn’t it though? You took your lover to Vegas. You left me and our baby, you son of a bitch!” I should hate him for everything he did to me. For all the lies and tears. For tearing my heart to shreds. I should hate him. But my heart wouldn’t let me.
Will stepped back as if I’d slapped him across the face. He gripped the back of his neck with one hand and held his stomach with the other as if nauseated. I knew what he felt because I’d experienced the same multiple times since June. Gut-wrenching desolation.
“And I’m so fucking sorry, baby.” His voice broke, and his dark eyes were wet. “No matter what you think is the truth, I love you. Don’t betray me with him, Miranda. Don’t. You’ll be sorry if you do, and we may not be able to come back from it.” Will turned around, then stopped at the steps to look back. “I’ll be back for you.”
“What does that mean?” Derek asked before I could.
“Exactly what I said. I’ll be back for what’smine. Miranda and my baby, and I’ll bring them home with me.”
“Is that a threat?” Derek stepped forward with fisted hands.
I grabbed his forearm. I wouldn’t let either of them throw any punches. Will’s words floored me though. Why wouldn’t he just leave me alone?
Will issued Derek a smug, confident smile. “No. It’s a promise.” He made his way down the steps and hollered over his shoulder, “I love you, M. Always and forever. Don’t you forget it.”
Derek closed the door, his eyes set on me.
22 Miranda
THE LIES I told were about to bite me in the ass. I should have listened to my parents.
Even if only by omission, a lie was a lie. I knew better. I’d made a choice. Now I would be held accountable for the decisions I’d made.
I never felt more confused than I did at this moment. Will’s eyes had had the same love in them as they always did when he looked at me. I’d felt familiar flutters in my stomach like I had on our first date at In-N-Out.
Will had stared at me like I meant everything to him.
“Miranda? That’s your real name?” Derek’s strained voice jerked me out of my thoughts.
